


Nobody Said

by R_S



Category: One Piece
Genre: Blood and Injury, Gen, Graphic Description of Injury, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Intervention, Nakama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24627715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_S/pseuds/R_S
Summary: Zoro feels weak after Thriller Bark. He wants to be strong.
Kudos: 52





	Nobody Said

“ _Hahaha!_ ” Franky bangs his fist on the table, in danger of knocking over his whisky and cola.

“ _Fufufufu-_ ” the lovely Nico Robin giggling into his ear.

Usopp has a mug of beer in one hand. Spilling froth as he's gestured out in front of himself. “Hoa-! No- no-no wait, listen to what happened _next-_ ”

“ _Shishishishi-shi-!_ ” Their Captain red in his face. Miraculously taking part in _another round_ of Sake. Grabbing handfuls of meat-buns from the heaping plate in the middle of his Galley table.

“Oi- Brook!” Sanji standing in the kitechen, wearing an apron over his suit. “Is it Milk _Pudding_ or Milk _Custard_?”

  
“ _Yohohohoho-!_ ” A wine-glass cradled in one skeletal hand. “ _Custard~_ , if you would be so kind? Sanji- _san~!_ ”

Everyone is having a good time. Nami thinks. Standing outside, on the landing. Deep night and many stars resting over the Thousand Sunny-go. None of her nakama have noticed her being out here. Or if they have, they've not said a word about it.

_*clack_

“How is he, Chopper?”

Their little Doctor looks sadly up at her in the dark. “He... ah... pulled out some stitches, and.. um. His-” Driven to exhaustion in simply _telling_ Nami. Telling Luffy, and telling Usopp, Franky... everyone. What sustaining injury has compounded on top of Zoro _today_. He doesn't want to, so he just looks at her.

And Nami really doesn't want to hear what Chopper has to say, either. Far from needing a Doctor's detail in diagnosis. She wants their First Mate's _excuse_ as a Human Being. Of course she cannot ask that. Getting down onto her knees so that she can look her tiny nakama in the eyes. “Thanks.” He blinks at her, and she smiles. “For all your hard work, Chopper.”

_*sniff--_ “Aye.” Gone into the Galley, and she hopes he's drinking something strong tonight. Something stronger than she is. Squaring her shoulders, and put a hand flat on the Infirmary door.

Squealing hinges give the Pirate Navigator away. Zoro pulling his shirt back on. It's filthy. Soaked through in the man's oily sweat, and no small amounts of his blood. _He_ isn't much better. Grey, and _gaunt_. “- _gawd._ Zoro...?”

He only nods his head, tucking his green hamaraki in around himself.

“You're not going to _say_ anything?”

“Nothing to say.” His voice rattles, like he's speaking through broken glass. Dry, chapped lips. He hasn't been eating, Sanji said. Only _bleeding._ “You have to stop doing this.”

“Not doing anything.”

  
“You have to stop _training!_ Your body obviously can't take it.” The Navigator gone and stood in front of the door her First Mate tries to walk out of.

  
“Get out of my way.”

“No. I won't do that, Zoro.” Hands out, she barrs him. “This has got to stop.”

“ _ **I don't take Orders from you!!!**_ ”

…. Harrowing ripples go into every Adam-wood timber surrounding these two. A long _*creak_ as their ship tilts on a high swell.

“Is it that you want Luffy to notice?” Nami asking. Looking away from him, but not moving from where she is. Blocking his way out. “Should we tell him?”

Before Zoro has any chance to answer, she's put her arms down. Staring at his chest. He looks also- To find fresh new blood blossoming red across his belly. “ _Che'-_ ”

“You have to stop doing this to yourself.”

Green eyes look sharply up at her. Zoro peeling his wet shirt up. Revealing his right abdomen is inflamed. Almost half of that old slash he'd received from Hawkeyes Mihawk has reopened. _Infected_. Torn raggs of skin around where stitches had been broken or ripped clean, right beside rows of newer ones. And not just that old wound. There were so _many_. He takes a breath, and it hurts to do so. “Don't you dare to tell him _anything_.”

“You can't even stop me. You're about to drop!”

“I'm not joking.”

“Neither am I.” Slapping her hand flat against Chopper's bookcase. Nami feels _satisfaction_ in at least getting her nakama's hard eyes to widen.

Glowering at her. “No training.”

“No training.” Nami nods. “For _at least_ one day.”

“Aye.”

“And no drinking.”

“Forget it.”

“Limit of two bottles?”

“Per meal-call?”

“Are you going to eat actual _food_ throughout the day?”

“...”

“Zoro?”

“One meal.”

“Two.”

“...” He hasn't eaten more than one meal a day, more often _nothing at all_. Ever since they'd left Thriller Bark in swirling grey mists behind them. Napping through breakfast, he's Training during lunchtime. Checking-in with everyone at dinner for a single _bite,_ and booze. After dinner, he takes a Watch Shift up in the Crow's Nest.

Nami knew their Swordsman also _traded_ Usopp for Watch Shifts, _and_ Chopper. When Brook confided in her he'd given Zoro three or four of his Watches she drew-out her own conclusions. “And you have to sleep.”

“Heh?”

“ _Sleep._ Zoro. Like _lying down_ under a blanket in your box-hammock, and _closing your eyes_.” Nami had carefully asked Luffy if Zoro had been coming back to the Men's Quarters each night. Her Captain thinking a moment, before almost biting through his own lip. _Nu-uh'_ He'd said, swallowing. His eyes glittering momentarily, before he's snuffled. _Shishi-shi- but Zoro does it like that, sometimes!'_ They have so much _faith_ in one another. Nami can't help but to notice when she talks to either-or about the other. _Zoro's gonna be fine-!'_

“I get plenty of sleep. Jus' like everybody else.”

“You're lying.”

“...” He doesn't deny what's true a second time. Palm pressing down into a still bleeding side.

“I'll go get Chopper-”

“No you will not-” He couldn't reach Nami's arm to grab hold of her wrist, even if he did want to. Leaning heavily on the Infirmary cot, and shaking. “Nami-! No... com'mon... _don't?!_ ”

She stands there some time, with her hand on the latch. Nami can hear everyone talking behind this door. Not a lot of laughter. She knows they've heard what's been shouted. Robin might even have an ear inside this room. “Alright.” Turning back around to face her injured Nakama. “What do you need? Bandages?”

“Sake.”

“Zoro-”

“-Chopper keeps some over there, in that cabinet.”

“Chopper keeps Sake in this room?”

“Yea, he _does_. Because _I_ always need it, and _Sanji is always such an asshole about it!_ ” Making sure to shout that last bit through the wall towards the Galley as loudly as he can.

Nami hears muffled laughter on the other side. “Okay.” Gone to where Zoro had said, and there is. A good dozen bottles. She drags out two. Opening one. “One swallow.”

“Is that a challenge?” Zoro's grinning frightens the hell out of Nami right now.

“Just don't kill yourself.” He's coming close to that, _and it's like he doesn't even care_. Maybe he just hasn't noticed. Nami pulling the wax and cork from a second bottle. Taking _one_ swallow, right along-side him. Both placing their vessels down on Chopper's desk. Zoro's missing almost three times what Nami's was. “Sleep.”

“Another drink?”

“I'll let you finish this bottle-” Nami's offered. One arm shot out to grab Zoro's wrist. _He feels frail?_! “You let me stitch you back up, and you agree to go to sleep.”

“ _Che'_ I can do my own sewing, woman.”

“Zoro.” Blood dripping freely down his front. Soaked into his hamaraki and trousers. Getting onto his boots. “You don't want Chopper to _look at you_ that way anymore, and I _get_ that. I do-! But you have to let _someone_ help you.”

“I said I can take care of myself-” Zoro's reached for the bottle of Sake he had opened. Draining its contents down into his thoat. Placing it back down, and his eyes unknit.

Nami sees him fall before he does, able to direct his larger body backward into a chair rather than crashing onto hardwood.

_***knock-knock**_ Nami freezes. Zoro shaking his head. Waking up from having just fainted, he blinks at her. Standing there? _Where's here?_ Then towards the door that leads into their ship's Galley. “ _Is everything alright in there, my sweet flower?_ ”

Sanji, the prick. “...” that freaking _bastard_... “....” He just doesn't have the energy to throw any insult at him. His tongue wont move. Nothing.

_Not a thing?_ Nami can feel tears on her face, seeing Zoro glaring daggers at the door. Unable even to lift his arms, sat in this chair. He wants to shout at Sanji. She knows he does. That's what those two do in the best and worst of all their time together. He can't do even that much. “Everything's fine!” She calls back through the door. Waiting for the sound of their Chef's steel soled shoes to tell her he's walked away, back to the table with the others. “You're not healed at all, are you?” Accusing her green haired nakama in a much quieter voice. “When we left Thriller Bark, that was because _you_ wanted to leave. Got up, and walked arm in arm with Luffy right on to the Ship. No one said a word against it.”

“Captain's Orders.” Two words, and it looked like it took a lot for him to get them out. But he does manage to look at her. Nami's heart jumping for his _effort_. Zoro's still bleeding. Large clots bubbling out of deep long-ago forgotten wounds.

_He's going to bleed to death_. “Zoro-”

  
“It was _time to go_.” He spits out, along with a fair amount of blood. Standing up from that chair, and he puts his hands up on Nami's shoulders. “We c-can't afford t-to st---tand still.”

He has no fear, and no _regard_ that he has no fear. Does that mean he's jaded in that simple _understanding-_ of what _exactly_ fear is? “You're better than half-dead, Zoro, and you're so _dumb_ you don't even know it.”

“ _Hah-haha.._ ” He expected her to say something like that. The green haired Swordsman putting his back up against the wall. Man, his side _hurts_. So does his hip, and all that same leg. The other leg isn't hurting as much as yesterday. Neither is his head. The migraines have been the worst of all that he's experienced. At least now he's able to think more clearly. “I'm fine.”

_Fine._ Nami wants to _clobber_ him. “Sleep.”

“That again.”

“It's a subject I'm unwilling to let drop.”

Zoro's eyes open, and his head rolls in the direction of his Navigator. “Aye.” Just like Chopper had said. _I'm not just going to stop telling you!” I'm going to keep telling you until you do it!”_ The little Zoan's blue nose shivering as he tried not to cry in front of his patient. Trying to sound stern. Chopper is the real victim in all of this, in Zoro's opinion. “Aye. What do you want me to do?”

Listening to the others in the Galley nextdoor. “Sleep without any Watch Shift tonight.”

“Huh? -Oi-!” He tries to pull his arm back, but when he _can't?_ and Nami digs all her fingernails into his shoulder. Guiding him to the cot and to sit down on it. “ _Ah-!_ ” Jarred by the quick motion, and he's reminded of his sore hips. Of a still-broken _–barely healing_ ribcage. Vibrating up his body, along his collar bone and shoulders. Down his arms, into each wrist.

Nami doesn't pause in what she is doing. Shoving her patient back onto the cot, and looking around for clean thread and a needle. Rinsing her hands in sanitizer Chopper keeps on the wall. Not very long at all, when she's leaning down over Zoro. “Do you want something to bite down on.”

“No.”

“Fine.” Ready to sink in the first stitch, when the Navigator's paused. Gone to the cabinet and brought down another bottle. She gives it to Zoro.

It takes a long time to get all the open gashes closed. Clean bandaging around them, and she feels just as passionately as Chopper that he _leave them on or so help me-!!_ “Alright. Now wait here a minute.” She gets up to leave.

Zoro watching her leave the Infirmary for the Galley, closing the door behind her. A spin behind his eyes. He's sweating, and his stomach growls a little. “Shut up.” He doesn't want to hear it. His body _complaining_. “ _Che'-_ ” He should be _stronger_. Then he won't _feel_ pain, and none of his nakama have to feel pain either!

_***BANG**_ “ _Shishishishi-shi-!_ ” It's amazing how much Luffy resembles a battering ram. Coming into rooms. “ _Shishishi-!_ Time for bed, Zoro!”

“Eh?” Enthusiastically grabbed around his chest, Zoro marvels that it doesn't hurt when his Captain pulls on him. Managed to get his hands where nothing had been bleeding. Out the door, across the landing and into the... _Woman's Room?_ “Oi- Luffy-?”

“ _Shishishi_ \- Robin says she'll be up _all night_ in the Library with Nami, and that Zoro should sleep in a _real bed._ Said it might help!”

“...” _Help?_ He doesn't know how to respond to that. Not know what his Captain's been told, and questioning if Luffy came up with what he said all by himself? or if he's repeating something one of the others' said. “I'm fine.”

“ _Shishishi-_ ” the brim of his Captain's straw hat hiding most of his face as he's carried Zoro to Robin's bed. Lying him down on it, and snuggling up behind. “Zoro's gatta sleep now.”

“ _Haaah_ \- Look, Sencho. I'm not tired at all.” Tried to swing his legs back over the edge of this _really soft_ mattress.

“Zoro's gonna sleep.” But Luffy yanks back on his First Mate. Putting his nose half an inch from the Swordsman's.

They glare at one another.

“I told you. I'm fine.”

In response to that, Luffy's brown eyes narrow. A scowl on his lips, before he's inexplicably grinned. Stretching out his arms, and wrapping his legs around and around Zoro's until the man is completely restrained. “ _Shishishi-!_ ”

“You freaking rubber-Monkey-!”

“-Stay with Zoro tonight.” Luffy's giggled some more. Pressing his nose into Zoro's thick, sunburned neck. “So that he _sleeps_ , and that he doesn't hurt himself anymore.”

“Huh?!” the arms kept around the Swordsman tighten, holding Zoro where he is so that he cannot push away. It might have looked uncomfortable, but- “Who said I-?”

“Nobody said.” His Captain sounding slightly offended. Yawning, Luffy's breath smelling of Sake and meat. “Baka-Zoro.”

**Author's Note:**

> <3


End file.
